Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM

spuddy

What's your opinion of this lens? I understand it's a good all rounder, and a natural step up from the bog standard 18-55mm lens which came with my 400D.

I've been offered a year-old one for €300. It's in perfect cond, but bearing in mind what ebay can offer, I feel it's a bit expensive at that price.

helios

Take it for €300, it's a brilliant lens; I swear by it.

Fireman

I also have one very good lens, but if you knew someone in America you could buy new for €330 (Outside New York state )No tax at B&H

Have you IS in you're 17/55??? if so you are just getting the extra focal length

spuddy

Fireman wrote: »

I also have one very good lens, but if you knew someone in America you could buy new for €330 (Outside New York state )No tax at B&H

Have you IS in you're 17/55??? if so you are just getting the extra focal length

No IS on the current lens, that's one of the real attractions of this new lens for me.

Placebo

EF-S IS USM = some one expand on these abreviations for me please

challengemaster

EF-S wrote:

The EF-S lens mount is a derivative of the EF lens mount created for a subset of Canon digital single-lens reflex cameras with APS-C sized image sensors.

The "S" in EF-S stands for "short back focus", which means that the rear element of the lens is closer to the image sensor than on regular 35 mm SLR cameras. The proximity of the rear element to the image sensor greatly enhances the possibilities for wide angle and very wide angle lens, enabling them to be made smaller, lighter (containing less glass), faster (larger aperture) and less expensive.

IS = Image stabalization

USM = USM (Ultrasonic Motor) that drives a rear lens group and, thus, AF smokes. Is slightly faster and quieter (no gear train noise). The front element does not rotate and the barrel does not expand or contract during focusing. Of course, being an USM lens, it is silent when focusing.

Fenster

It's a soft lens when you're shooting wide open

King Eric

IS = Image Stabilizer - Allows you to use slower shutter speeds by moving an element in the lens to compensate for camera shake

USM = Ultra Sonic Motor - For faster, quieter focusing
Afaik they can also provide more accurate distance information for flash photos for ettl (im not 100% sure on this tho)

EF-S = EF series lens Short Back Focus

means the lens is suitable only for use on 300d, 350d, 400d 450d or 20d 30d 40d

because the sensor is smaller the mirror is smaller and doesnt flip out as far so the rear of the lens can protrude further into the camera wthout getting smacked by the mirror as it moves up and out of the way when you take a photo.

Edit: damn i need to start typing quicker

peter1892

It's a good all round lens, the IS is pretty handy on it.

One thing I don't like about it is that there is very noticeable barrel distortion at 17mm. From about 20mm upwards it's fine though.


€300? Good price, take it.

elven

F4-5.6 is pretty slow though... I'd rather a fast lens than IS - depends what/how you shoot i suppose but no chance of real shallow depth of field with that. I have the older, non macro version of this guy and find it great. Slightly shorter reach though. Can be had for less than 300 on ebay, from HK shops, although Albert only appears to have the nikon mount in stock at the moment.

There's also a sigma 24-70 f2.8 that i nearly bought, bit more expensive (unless rymus is still flogging his one) but again, it's much faster than f4.

Fenster

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0602/06022113canonefs1755f28g.asp

elven

f2.8 - and IS? Oh my!

Tis a fair whack for an ef-s lens though, even if it would allow the most shakey handed of us to handhold at 1/25th :rolleyes:

Calina

I can hand hold the 10-20 and 18-55 lenses I have at 1/30.

can't even do the 50-500mm at 1/640 though, not without severely limiting the number of photos I can take before collapsing.

rabbitinlights

The 17-85 is a great everyday lens and the IS is handy but just turn it off on a tripod!!

Its the best walkaround lens without getting into mad money.

S.

JMcL

elven wrote: »

F4-5.6 is pretty slow though... I'd rather a fast lens than IS - depends what/how you shoot

It's a bit slow, but it's a grand walkabout lens if you can pick it up for around the €300 (I got it bundled for about that when I got the 40D). Wide lenses tend to get heavy if you make them faster. The IS works very well, I can handhold consistently at the long end down to about 1/13 - 1/15s, and I've gotten acceptable results down to 1/8 if I'm careful. I went on a night walk in Paris at new year, and a tripod really wouldn't have been an option. Though as you say, the best IS in the world is useless if your subject is moving

Rob_T

Dpreview have launched a section for lens reviews. http://www.dpreview.com/news/0801/08012913dpreviewlensreviews.asp the 17-85 is featured.
I have one and love it, it would be nice if it was faster alright but still as a walk about lens its alot better then the 18-55mm kit lens.

missingtime

Here are some lens review sites:

http://www.photozone.de/8Reviews/index.html
http://www.fredmiranda.com

440Hz

Fenster wrote: »

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0602/06022113canonefs1755f28g.asp

Ive used this a good bit, its a lovely lens but very limited range. You just feel like you have a super fancy kit lens. Id take it if I found it cheaply of course, but I wouldnt spend that kinda money on it.

As for the 17-86 IS, its a lovely lens. Yeah its a bit slow, but the IS helps alot, and gives you a virtual stop down. Its a great walkaround lens, and a perfect starting off lens instead of the kit. I bought mine with my first body, and still wont part with it. I dont use it much these days, but I still want to keep it. Its a great little light lens for the right occasion.

jackdaw

helios wrote: »

Take it for €300, it's a brilliant lens; I swear by it.

OK im a little new to SLR photography, but what makes it much better then
the 18-55 kit lens that comes with the 400D ?

surely not the little extra zoom ?
is it just better quality ??

jackdaw

elven wrote: »

F4-5.6 is pretty slow though... I'd rather a fast lens than IS - depends what/how you shoot i suppose but no chance of real shallow depth of field with that. I have the older, non macro version of this guy and find it great. Slightly shorter reach though. Can be had for less than 300 on ebay, from HK shops, although Albert only appears to have the nikon mount in stock at the moment.

There's also a sigma 24-70 f2.8 that i nearly bought, bit more expensive (unless rymus is still flogging his one) but again, it's much faster than f4.

When you say slow ??
you mean because at high F values you need to have longer shutter speeds correct ?

Also a lens shows 2 F values , the lowest at each extreme focal length true ?

Fenster

I used to own the non-EX 28-70 Sigma and I really wish now that I didn't sell it. The extra stops at the wide end make a big difference.

spuddy

Thanks for all the replies, picked it up today, delighted

JMcL

jackdaw wrote: »

OK im a little new to SLR photography, but what makes it much better then
the 18-55 kit lens that comes with the 400D ?

surely not the little extra zoom ?
is it just better quality ??

The build quality is much better, the 18-55mm is flimsy to say the least, the extra range does help, image quality is better, though both lenses suffer from vary bad barrel distortion (where straight lines towards the edge of the image bend outwards in a barrel shape) at the wide end, but most of all the image stabalisation, which will allow you to use the lens handheld at much slower shutter speeds.

jackdaw wrote: »

When you say slow ??
you mean because at high F values you need to have longer shutter speeds correct ?

No, it refers to the maximum aperture (ie lowest f number) available at a particular range. With the 17-85 this is f4 at 17mm quickly falling to f5.6 as you zoom out. f4 to f5.6 is a "stop" apart. What this means is that to get a correct exposure at f5.6, you need to double your shutter speed compared to the same exposure for f4 (eg, if you need a shutter speed of 1/100s at f4, you'll need 1/50 at f5.6 for the same exposure. Conversely, if your maximum aperture is f2.8, this is 1 stop faster than f4, so for the same exposure in the above example, you can set your shutter speed to 1/200s. Faster lenses will also have improved autofocus and the viewfinder image will be brighter, as focusing is done with the lens wide open and a wider aperture lets more light through. It's only stopped down to the selected aperture when the shutter is pressed. Wikipedia have lots on f-stops here.

jackdaw wrote: »

Also a lens shows 2 F values , the lowest at each extreme focal length true ?

Exactly. When there's only one number, then the lens has that max aperture throughout its zoom range.